Camping at William Kent Campground, Tahoe City, CA

Entrance to William Kent Campground

 William Kent Campground‎

1995 West Lake Boulevard

Sunnyside-Tahoe City, California 96145

(530) 583-3642

 
I just returned from a four day camping trip to north Lake Tahoe.  Fresh mountain air, clear blue skies, lush green forests and near-freezing overnight temperatures. Brrrrrrr!

I arrived at William Kent campground on Wednesday morning in early June.  It was good to be back at this campground, a place where I've been camping at since the mid 90's.  I always enjoy coming to this campground for a variety of reasons but the main one being it's directly acro ss the highway from Lake Tahoe.  The location of William Kent is great because it gives you access to many outdoor activities in just a matter of minutes from your campsite.  This campground is located on Hwy. 89 about 1.5 miles south of the "Y" intersection in Tahoe City. 

You can walk down to the lake and go for a swim or paddle around in your personal watercraft.  You can go biking on the bike path that passes directly in front of the campground entrance and runs parallel to Highway 89.  I like to ride into Tahoe City for groceries and a tasty espresso.  You can float down the Truckee River in your own raft or rent one and be picked up Alpine Meadows Road.  There are also a number of great restaurants available very close by.  Sunnyside is a five minute walk from the campground.

Near Sunnyside Resort at Lake Tahoe

Other reasons I like William Kent are the layout of the sites, they are large and offer privacy unlike many campgrounds where there is no vegetation between campsites.  Here the Ponderosa pines, birch trees and Douglas Fir trees grow tall and give you plenty of shade and privacy.  I love trees so I spend a lot of time just looking at them, noting their shapes, symmetry and height.  They are beautiful to look at.

Campground Loop

I was in campsite #70.  This site has everything I look for in a good campsite: lots of room for all your stuff, a relatively flat area for your tent, a good distance from neighbors with privacy, good combination of sun and shade, close to the restrooms-but not too close and close to a water source.  This site is nearly perfect in my opinion.  I love it.  This is the third time I have stayed in this particular site and it just keeps getting better.

Setting Up Camp

I unloaded my gear and set up my five-person tent.  I enjoy setting up my campsite while I breathe in the fresh mountain air and gaze at the beautiful sights all around me.  The process of setting up my tent and camp is very therapeutic for me and a lot of fun as well.  I enjoy the outdoors very much and draw energy from the environment all around me.  I have a very strong pioneer spirit inside of me so I feel very comfortable and connect very quickly to nature.

Camp Site #70 - William Kent Campground

  I find it very relaxing to set up my tent, the propane stove, the Coleman lantern, fill up my five-gallon water jug and set out my chairs to my liking.  I like to have my camp all set up before night fall, it's much easier to do when you have plenty of daylight.  Once my bed is made (I use a foam pad or air mattress and a sleeping bag), I am free to go for a bike ride or a long walk around the surrounding neighborhood.

Site #70 with Tent Setup

 Exploring the Surrounding Area

One of my favorite activities when I'm in Tahoe City is to walk around the different neighborhoods and check out the wide variety of custom homes in the area.  They can range in price from a quarter of a million dollars to five or ten million dollars.  Most of the architectural styles are based on a log cabin theme or a variation of the Craftsman style of architecture.  I'm a huge fan of log cabins.  I really like the houses that combing natural wood and stone into their construction.  The two house shown below are typical of what you will see when exploring this area.  I can spend hours and hours looking at the many different construction styles you will see around the lake.

I enjoy thinking about what it would be like to live here year round.  What it must be like to be home while the snow falls heavy outside and you sit inside your cabin next to a warm fire and then go outside the next day a walk through the deep snow.  During the winter months here, you are subject to the dictates of nature and you have to be prepared to deal with whatever she may throw at you.  Freezing rain or three or four feet of snow in a matter of days. 

Custom-built home in Tahoe City

On my second day during this trip, I spent the day riding my bike south to Homewood and north to Dollar Point on the bike path.  I also rode about seven miles on the bike path that follows the Truckee River.  If you have never had the opportunity to ride on this bike path, make it a priority on your next trip to North Lake Tahoe.  You won't be disappointed.  There is always something to see when you are bike riding the paths here.  Tall trees, Lake Tahoe, rafters floating down the Truckee River, large custom homes, snow-covered mountain peaks and lots of people having fun in the great outdoors.

I enjoyed this trip very much and it was good to get away from my usual routine.  I have a ritual I like to follow in the morning when I wake up.  After splashing cold water on my face, I fire up the gas stove and start heating up some water make coffee.  That first cup of coffee sitting at the picnic table tastes the best.  It probably tastes so good because of the combination of fresh mountain air and all the sights and sounds of nature all around me.  To me, the morning hours are my favorite and I cherish every passing minute while I gaze at my surroundings or just read a book and sip some black coffee.

This is the time that helps me recharge my batteries and I am thankful for the healing effect just being here has on my soul.  I don't know if other people are so deeply affected by nature as I am, but I am so grateful that I can experience such joy and happiness from being out in nature.  It has always been this way for me, even as a young boy, being outside and exploring nature has always made me very happy.  I guess I am lucky that way.

Truckee River

North Shore, Lake Tahoe

North Shore, Lake Tahoe

Douglas Fir in late afternoon sunlight

Getting ready for a camping trip to one of my favorite places in the world.  Lake Tahoe.

I will be camping at William Kent Campground the first week of June for three days.  I hope all the snow has melted by then.  Last year when I went at roughly the same time, the snow was gone, but the overnight temperatures dropped down into the mid 30's F.  The days were warm but you needed a warm jacket and a good sleeping bag when the sun went down.  I assume it will be the same again this year.  On the positive side, it is too cold for the mosquitos to come out, so they aren't a problem this time of year like they are later in the summer.  Come late June, be sure to bring your anti-insect repellant with you when you go camping in the high Sierra.

I will post a recap of the places I went to and the things I did, along with new pictures after I get back.

Papeete, Tahiti - capital of French Polynesia

I arrived in Papeete, Tahiti as an employee of Carnival Australia working on board the Pacific Sun cruise ship.
I was playing with one of the bands on the cruise ship and because I worked nights on the ship, my days were usually free to go ashore and do plenty of sightseeing.  When I walked out to the top outside deck and gazed upon the scene all around me, I was utterly and completely shocked by how beautiful it was.  Everywhere I looked I saw incredible views of  palm tree-covered mountains, large expanses of turquoise-blue ocean and lush vegetation.  

Papeete, Tahiti's "Boulevard Pomare", along the city's harbor front.

As a first-time visitor, I was very impressed by the juxtaposition of the city surrounded by some very tall mountains.  I was surprised to learn that some of the mountains on this island were over 7,000 ft in elevation.  Mont Orohena is the tallest mountain of French Polynesia with an elevation of 2,241 m (7,352 ft) and is located in central Tahiti.

The esplanade in Papeete, Tahiti.

It was fairly hot on the day I was there.  I easily broke a sweat just from standing out in the sun.  The climate on the Island of Tahiti and Papeete is considered tropical and can be divided into two basic seasons: the wet season and the dry season.

The wet season (Polynesian Summer), is between the months of November to April, receiving approximately 3/4ths of the annual rainfall of French Polynesia between these months. The humidity during this time can be quite heavy and muggy and cloud cover is common. Storms are frequent, brief, and unpredictable. (Average rainfall for Papeete is over 70 inches).  Temperatures will range from 27 - 30 degrees C (81-86 degrees F), with the hottest months being February and March. This "wet season" is considered the "off season" for tourism.

By contrast, the "dry season" - May through October, is the "on season" for tourism. This is the Polynesian winter. Temperatures generally range from between 24-28 degrees C (75-82 degrees F) , and rain is rare. Day to night temperature fluctuations are minimal.

View of Moorea from Papeete, Tahiti.

I was there in mid May and the town was busy with tourists as it was the beginning of the "on season".  Our cruise ship was docked adjacent to the Place Vaiete where there is a large open market and stage.  This proved convenient as later that night, I was able to listen to a live reggae music concert coming from the stage there.  Locals were listening, dancing and eating to the rhythmic tunes being played.  It was a beautiful warm night with a pleasant temperature around 80F with a calm breeze.  The locals look right at home outdoors and when you visit here you will know why.  The warm, moist air carries the sweet smell of all the plants and flowers on it and makes you feel so relaxed you just feel like laying down on the grass and taking in all the beauty that is all around you.    

Wood sculpture near Place Vaiete in Papeete.

Camping at William Kent Campground, North Lake Tahoe, CA

Lake Tahoe from the east shore.

It was a beautiful July morning when I pulled up to the campground registration office at William Kent campground.  I had made online reservations a couple of weeks earlier, so I knew I had a space reserved for the next five days.  I am always very excited when I first arrive at a campground because there are so many things to do and see.  I can't wait to set up my tent, stove, lantern and make my temporary home in the woods comfortable and organized for the duration of my stay. 

Campsite #63 at William Kent Camp

I have been coming here since the mid-1990's.  It is one of my favorite campgrounds at Lake Tahoe because of the many varied activities that are available here.  Such as swimming in the lake, going for a long bike ride along the amazing bike path that runs in some cases, mere feet from the lake.  There's also loads of hiking opportunities on nearby trails.  You can access the Pacific Crest Trail near here as well.  Don't forget to try floating down the Truckee river on a raft or some other personal flotation device.  There's also a grocery store, hardware store and lots of restaurants in nearby Tahoe City.  This is very convenient for picking up bags of ice, cold beer or a nice bottle of wine.  It's also nice in case you forget to bring all your camping supplies or just feel like eating out.

On this trip I did all of the activities listed above and then some.  Although, since it was very hot while I was there I went swimming at the lake at least twice a day.  The water feels really good when you first jump in. At the surface the water can warm up to 68F, but this vast body of water generally averages around 50F on the surface for most of the year. Further down, the water temperature remains pretty constant at 39F.  Too cold for some but I love it.  It's so refreshing.

I also enjoy biking along the bike path, after swimming this is probably my favorite thing to do when I go to Lake Tahoe.  I biked from the campground at Sunnyside for about 10 miles south to Tahoma.  The views are spectacular everywhere you look.  The water at Lake Tahoe is noted very being incredibly blue and clear.  The contrast between the blue water and the dark green of the pine, cedar and Douglas fir trees is stunning.
The bike path meanders and is very easy to negotiate for young and old bikers.  Breathing the clean, fresh mountain air feels good.   The surface elevation of the lake is about 6,225 ft.

Boats moored at Sunnyside, North Lake Tahoe

I enjoy walking from the campground out into the adjacent neighborhoods.  There is an astounding variety of architectural styles on display in the houses and cabins in this area.  Ranging from small, relatively inexpensive cabins to large, opulent and multi-million dollar homes.  As you can see from the picture on the right. 

Private home on Lake Tahoe.

I could walk around these tall tree neighborhoods for hours.  There's so many cool things to see.  How people set up there homes, stack their firewood for the cold winters, create outdoor spaces to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.  Chainsaw carvings of bears, eagles, raccoons and scenes of wildlife.  I usually catch a garage sale or two while I'm out walking.  This results in my finding an interesting piece of camping equipment that I can use on my trip.

North Lake Tahoe home.

North Lake Tahoe at dusk.

I could write for hours about all the things to see and do while you are here.  Obviously, I would live there for the whole summer and into fall if I could.  There are so many things that pull me to come here, like the quality of the sunlight, the beautiful landscapes, the recreation, the water, the forests, the wildlife, to name just a few things.

If you have never been to Lake Tahoe, California, please put it down on your list of places to come visit.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

My First Trip to Auckland, New Zealand

The moment I walked off the P & O Pacific Sun cruise ship at Princes Wharf I was impressed by the impressive city scape that rose above me.  Of course, the first thing that you notice is the Sky Tower located on Queen Street, just a few blocks up Queen street from the waterfront.  The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located on the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets in Auckland.  It is 328 metres (1,076 ft) tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast, making it the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere.  Due to its shape and height, especially when compared to the next tallest buildings, it has become an iconic structure in Auckland's skyline.

Auckland skyline with Sky Tower in the middle.

The city streets in Auckland are filled with pedestrians, cars and other vehicles like any other large city, but the traffic seems more civilized and orderly to me, despite the fact that they drive on left side of the road (opposite to that of the United States).  Pedestrians also cross intersections on the diagonal in addition to straight across (picture a square with an "x" inside of it).  It looks and feels like utter chaos at first, but is kind of cool once you get accustomed to it.

Sky Tower from downtown Auckland

Sky Tower in Auckland, NZ

I was there in what was the southern hemisphere's late summer/early fall.  As you can see from the picture below, it can be absolutely beautiful with brilliant sunshine and visibility extending for miles.  This day had perfect weather and I took advantage of it by going on a very long walk along the waterfront and marina.

Auckland from the inner harbour.

Large tree in Albert Park - Auckland

Finally, I have to say a word about the coffee situation in Auckland.  It's really hard to find regular brewed coffee, what they do is brew a shot of espresso and then add hot water to it like an Americano.  They also charge more for regular coffee than a latte or cappucino, which is kind of strange in my opinion.  Other than this, I highly recommend a trip to Auckland if you are in that part of the world.  It is a very progressive, cosmopolitan and interesting city with a great diversity of people.  Enjoyed myself immensely there.